New Friends
by schubskie
Summary: Vegeta is conned into taking baby Trunks to the park...little does he know, Goku's eldest son is already there. Trunks and Goten's relationship parallels Vegeta and Gohan's. Takes place between the Cell and Buu Sagas. Finished- 12/4/2011.
1. Chapter 1

**In case anyone hasn't noticed yet, Gohan is my favorite DBZ character :P**

* * *

Vegeta woke up to the sounds of pots and pans moving in the kitchen. The smell of eggs and bacon wafted into the room, and although he would never admit it, he was hungry.

He got up in his undershirt and boxers and began to get changed.

Once out of the room, he found Bulma in the kitchen.

"Hi Vegeta," she greeted, turning to put a plate heaped with eggs, bacon, and toast on the table. "Made you breakfast; hope you're hungry."

Vegeta noticed that everything was to perfection this time, even his eggs were just barely cooked- just the way he liked them.

Something was not right.

"Oh, and I was wondering…"

_Here it comes_, he thought, sitting down to eat.

"Would you mind taking Trunks to the park this morning? I have some important tests to run on those DNA samples in the lab so my hands are tied."

Vegeta looked up, just now noticing his son seated in a highchair across from him. He had the same blue-eyed gaze his mother had.

"I'm training today, why can't somebody else take him?" Vegeta replied grumpily.

Bulma turned so fast papers flew from the counter. "I get up and make you breakfast EVERY morning, not to mention wash the clothes, make the income and pull the weight for this family; and you're telling _me_ you can't even take your own _son_ to the park for an hour?"

"Fine," Vegeta growled, agreeing after a few moments. "But only for an hour. Then we need to find someone to watch him."

Bulma relaxed to a smile, knowing she had won. "That's all I ask."

Baby Trunks laughed and clapped his hands, before he continued to eat his Cheerios.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes and went back to his eggs.

* * *

After breakfast, as promised, Vegeta loaded the car with all the things Trunks would need for an hour at the park. Of course, it took him longer than it usually did for Bulma since he hardly knew what to pack. Diapers…Blankets…Fruit Loops…Binky…Shoes? Vegeta couldn't find any, so he decided the kid must not know how to walk yet. He got into the car.

Vegeta hated driving.

It was _SO_ much slower than flying, but carrying Trunks' stuff like that would prove a little difficult. Not to mention his wife had been trying to make them a _'normal family'_ during this time of peace.

Vegeta scoffed aloud. "I can't believe I'm doing this; I should be training."

He looked in the rearview window to see Trunks peering out the window. But as if sensing his father was looking back at him, he turned and stared right back.

Vegeta stopped the car in the gray parking lot. He and Bulma usually woke up early, since he insisted on using sunup to sundown training. She, he presumed, liked to do the same with her work.

The park was close to deserted.

As Vegeta neared the playground with his stroller, he became acutely aware of a familiar power level.

"Great," he growled under his breath, pushing on ahead.

And sure enough, a familiar chunk of black hair came into view. As if sensing him too, the figure turned, an uneasy look on his face.

"Oh hey, Vegeta," Gohan greeted.

Vegeta scoffed in reply and Gohan turned back. The 12 year-old was sitting on the edge of a sandbox, his eyes intent on his baby brother who was playing in the sand. Although Goten was not even a year old, he had a ton of hair on his head, as was customary of a Saiyan baby. But the hair looked identical to Goku's.

Vegeta noticed this as he set his stuff down on a picnic table nearby. Spotting Goten, Trunks began to make whimpering noises and struggled against the restraint in his stroller.

Gohan didn't look back again as Vegeta unbuckled his son and watched him stumble and swerve his way over to the sandbox.

_Huh. So he could walk. _

Gohan smiled as Baby Trunks came running in. "Hey Trunks. Want to play with Goten?"

Goten turned, giving his best glazed-over look. But it brightened immensely when he saw Trunks as he crawled from Gohan to meet his peer.

Gohan laughed watching them, though he soon noticed someone was missing.

He stood up, brushing the sand from his pants. "Do you want some coffee, Vegeta? I have some at the table over there," he gestured to another green, plastic picnic table not too far away.

Vegeta stood there stiff and unmoving, "I'm fine."

Gohan blinked. "Well, okay…I'm going to go get my cup. Mind watching these two for a second?"

Without waiting, Gohan turned and jogged over to the table. Vegeta noted how he didn't _fly _either. For a second he wondered if Gohan cared as much as he did about the ordeal.

Once he had come back with a steaming cup, Gohan attempted to ease the tension again. "So how long are you staying?"

"An hour." Vegeta replied, looking indifferent.

"I didn't think it would be long," Gohan commented, looking back at his brother and Trunks playing.

Vegeta took offense. "What? Why not?"

Gohan looked back at him. "Well Bulma can never stay long either. You guys must be awfully busy," he replied innocently.

Vegeta felt stupid for assuming the worst about him. He turned, arms crossed. "Well, _I am_."

"Yeah…" Gohan continued, looking down at his feet. "I know what you mean."

The way the pre-teen said it made Vegeta double-take; _what did he have to be sad about? _

But the boy immediately put up his happy front again. "But you'll get to train Trunks before you know it."

It was obvious that the boy was trying his hardest to relate to Vegeta. Vegeta gave in just a little when he came upon this realization himself.

"Yeah. When do you think that will be," he acted like he didn't care.

Gohan paused. "Well I started when I was four…and Trunks is one, right?" He smiled, "That means he only has three more years to go."

Vegeta looked past Gohan for a moment, watching his son as he tottered around in the sand. It was hard to imagine him a warrior.

Gohan shuddered as a cold breeze swept across the barren playground. Vegeta found him looking back at the sandbox too. "He looks just like Dad."

_Goten. _

Vegeta glanced at the other infant now, who seemed to be digging a hole with a blue plastic shovel bigger than him. But he wasn't watching his actions, but seizing up the baby instead.

Same hair. Same eyes. Same stupid facial expression.

Gohan was right; _he did look like Kakarot_. Vegeta felt a pang of jealousy, since _his _son didn't look like himself.

Gohan was walking away now, back to his own table, Vegeta realized.

Although the sky was pinking, the wind was still cold and Vegeta wondered if the boy was cold.

Gohan looked up from his seat to find Vegeta's shadow suddenly over him.

"I'll take that coffee now," Vegeta said.

Gohan blinked, and nodded. "Okay," he turned and poured a steaming cup out of his portable coffee maker.

Vegeta took the cup, though he continued to stand there awkwardly. "I didn't know you drank coffee."

"I started after Dad left," Gohan replied, holding his cup close to his chest.

Vegeta kept frowning as he usually did.

Gohan's tight shoulders relaxed under a heavy sigh. "I don't know what I'm going to do, Vegeta. School and training are hard enough; I'm not ready to be the man of the house. I can't take care of everyone like _he can_."

"Kakarot _was something_," Vegeta agreed, sitting down next to the youth.

Gohan glanced over, a little surprised. But he didn't say anything.

Vegeta looked up at the sky. "There's hardly a reason to train anymore."

Gohan was _definitely _surprised this time. "What? But you're Vegeta, you _have_ to train."

Vegeta looked at him. "And you're Kakarot's son; you _know_ how to take care of a family."

Gohan frowned a little, looking down into his black cup of coffee. But he soon smiled. "Everyone always said you were evil. But I never believed it. Even when you tried to kill me the first time we met; I thought Piccolo was trying to do the same when he left me out in the wilderness for six months."

"Yeah, trying to kill someone equates to friendship in this hellhole."

The way Vegeta said it made Gohan laugh aloud.

Vegeta looked annoyed at first, but then he smirked at Kakarot's eldest son.

Gohan calmed after a bit, "I hope Goten and Trunks become good friends."

Simultaneously, both looked back at the sandbox…and realized the two _weren't_ there.


	2. Chapter 2

Gohan and Vegeta sprang to their feet.

"Where could they have gone?" Vegeta gasped.

Gohan looked around wildly trying to sense their energies. "This way," he nodded, taking off in one direction.

Vegeta ran after him.

"Goten?" Gohan's cry erupted throughout the forest.

Vegeta came to a creek where Gohan stood in the middle, waist-deep, holding Baby Trunks high above his head. Vegeta's son was crying.

Spotting Vegeta, Gohan flew out and quickly handed him the baby. "Get him dry; I have to find my brother," he said before diving headlong into the creek.

Vegeta took a step forward, and then realized the little bundle in his arms was shaking uncontrollably.

He gritted his teeth and then looked back at the churning waters before flying back to the picnic tables.

* * *

Gohan swam among the rocks and murky ice water. His clothing was quickly drenched and his body was losing heat; but he_ had_ to find Goten.

He looked around blindly before bobbing to the surface once more.

"Goten!" He screamed.

This time, he heard soft crying.

He turned his head in the direction and found the infant above the water's surface for a split second before falling back under.

Gohan quickly dove after him.

* * *

Vegeta came back to the creek just sixty seconds later. Trunks was in his arms still, but he was covered in a soft warm blanket. He was still shaking, but not as hard as before.

His eyes searched the dark waters for signs of life.

"Gohan," he muttered.

He ran along the bank, before he realized the creek had picked up its pace. His footsteps stopped when he reached the edge of the cliff.

The water gushed over the edge.

Trunks began to cry again and Vegeta clutched him closer as he flew down.

"Gohan! Goten!" He called, his voice echoing throughout the woods.

Then all at once, a familiar chunk of hair crawled and then walked out of the water.

Gohan stumbled a little at first; still a little disoriented from his swim. But he held fast to a small bundle in his own arms, and it was crying.

Vegeta met the two at the shore.

Gohan's breath came out shaking; he was shaking uncontrollably from the ice-cold water and then from the chilly air. The water wouldn't have bothered Vegeta, since he was full-blood Saiyan. But Gohan's human half was freezing him.

Vegeta wished for a brief moment that he had gotten to the creek first.

"D-do you have enough…b-blankets for Goten?" Gohan asked shakily, revealing more of his also shaking brother who he had held close to his chest.

"Yes," Vegeta said, before holding out a hand.

Gohan handed his baby brother to Vegeta. He stuffed his hands back under his arms once he had done so. "I w-wonder how th-they got all the w-way out here…" he stammered.

Vegeta paused, looking at him. "That doesn't matter now; follow me."

Gohan nodded, and tried to control his shaking as Vegeta took off.

Gohan soon followed.

* * *

During the flight back Vegeta glanced once or twice back over his shoulder to see how Kakarot's brat was holding up. Although Gohan was drying, the cold air was worse with the higher altitude…Vegeta even thought he could hear the boy's teeth chattering. But Gohan didn't complain at all.

Once they had gotten close, the two descended to a walk so the few joggers and dog walkers now inhabiting the park would not be alarmed.

Gohan tried to look as normal as possible to look the part.

Vegeta set both babies down in Trunks' stroller as he packed up his things.

Gohan turned to do the same.

"Do you need a ride," Vegeta offered under his breath.

Gohan turned, a little surprised. "W-well as long as Goten i-is fine we-we can walk."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Don't be stupid, you're still shaking like a maraca."

At that point arguing with the Saiyan was useless; so Gohan obediently obeyed. Packing everything into Vegeta's car, Gohan got into the backseat so he could hold Goten while Vegeta got into the driver's side.

From his car seat Baby Trunks giggled happily and kicked his legs.

Gohan looked down at his baby brother as the car started. Goten was wrapped in a pale yellow blanket with green polka dots. Nothing about him was shaking or cold; he just smiled and laughed at his brother, reaching for his hair and then grabbing it.

"Hey! Knock it off!" Gohan laughed, before shivering slightly again.

Goten seemed confused by this, and so he grabbed a finger of Gohan's. He analyzed it for awhile before deciding to shove it in his mouth.

"I'm not food!" Gohan teased, taking his finger out.

But then he realized from the hurt look on Goten's face that he was just trying to warm him up.

"I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine. Really." He skipped his stuttering since he actually _was _warming up from the heat in car.

Goten decided to believe him then and his attention quickly fell on Trunks again. Likewise, Trunks seemed to want to play with Goten.

"Gohan," Vegeta's voice suddenly came from the front. The younger boy looked up.

"There's a basket attached to the back of my seat; put Goten in it and climb up here."

"Okay."

Gohan was confused, but followed his orders as he unbuckled his belt and carefully and gently released Goten into the basket's secure structure.

Facing his peer, Goten laughed and clapped his hands while Trunks grinned.

Gohan smiled faintly before turning and hopping over the passenger seat and sliding in. "What is it?" He asked.

"I have to stop by my house to pick up something," he lied, "Do you want to come?"

Gohan paused, but then a kind of friendly understanding passed between the two. He nodded. "I think Goten would like that."

Here he looked back once more, to find Goten sleeping in the small softly swinging basket.

Trunks was not far away in his car seat, though it was clear both had been playing up until the moment they had nodded off.

"Vegeta," Gohan said, "They _did _become good friends."

Vegeta glanced in the rearview mirror at the infants and smirked.

"They did."


End file.
